Friday, September 15 2006 14:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Karachi: Javed Miandad's verbal attack on PCB for sacking team manager Zaheer Abbas has prompted a strong response from cricket authorities who say the former Pakistan captain's comments has done great damage to the image of the Board.

Miandad had said that the Board, made up of people who have no contribution to cricket, had humiliated Zaheer Abbas and made him a scapegoat for the Oval Test controversy, which resulted in Pakistan forfeiting the game after being accused of ball tampering.

Top PCB officials are very upset with Miandad's comments and feel they have damaged their image coming at a time when Pakistan played poorly in England and with the Board trying to sort out issues with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"We have failed to understand why Miandad has taken the removal of Zaheer so strongly when everybody agrees that the former great is a thorough gentleman and was not strong enough to manage the team," a PCB official says.

He points out that the general consensus is that Zaheer can have acted more strongly to avoid the Oval Test fiasco.

The appointment of Talat Ali is basically to introduce more discipline in the team and have a manager who can wield authority and have more say in team and selection matters, he says.